The invention generally relates to closures and containers that provide an indicating means for tampering. The invention more specifically relates to an improved tamper indicating means which was a light guide. It can be applied to any type of container.
For more than sixty years a wide variety of tamper indicating closures have been invented. Generally, these closures all strive to give a visual indication of opening, most of these closures have been for medicines and drugs. These past designs have generally been narrow in their application; for example, a device for a bottle cap would not be suitable for a box. Although many of these past designs have been ingenious in their own right, they all suffer several important limitations. The first limitation is that the indication that most of these designs provide is not obvious unless one has a knowledge of the indicator's untampered appearance. Most people will not take the time, especially in a store, to read instructions; and many do not have eyesight good enough to read the fine print on labels and to examine packaging for signs of tampering. Since there are so many different types of indicators, this makes it even more difficult for the consumer. A second limitation is that a large number of the tamper indicators can be replaced with a little glue or epoxy. Even if the tamperer should substitute, say, a different piece of foil, or seal for the original, the customer may not recognize this. Many bottles have wound up being studied in laboratories in attempts to determine if they had been opened.
A final problem is that many of the tamper indicating means are not visible until a buyer brings the product home and opens it. This can cost the manufacturer a large sum of money when the possibility of other containers being contaminated triggers a recall and the necessity of opening thousands of containers.
The object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident means that is so noticeable and obvious that people with poor vision that prevents them from reading labels can differentiate between tampered and untampered containers at the store, before purchase. The indication should be bright enough to be seen at a glance, and, at a distance.
Another object is to provide a tamper evident device that cannot be repaired after opening, and that cannot be painted over or faked with another strip or label.
A further object is to provide a tamper evident device that can be adapted to any type of container design without large changes in manufacturing lines, and cost effective designs. The containers can be for foods, drugs, valuables, or anything that requires security.